p. 158 | Untitled article

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, August 20, 1867

A Year of Peace in Europe.

VERY remarkable have been the events in Europe illustrating the year of peace which began on August 24, 1866, by the signing of the treaty of Prague. Italy, with the exception of the city of Rome, has been united and strengthened; and already formidable efforts are making to redeem the Imperial City from the Papal rule which has so long cursed it. The old confederation of Germany has been consolidated in a great kingdom under a more liberal constitution than it has ever before enjoyed. Austria, though a constitutional monarchy in name for nearly twenty years, was practically an absolute despotism until a year ago; since then it has been forced to make great concessions to its subjects, to restore her old and liberal constitution to Hungary, and to permit her patriotic exiles to return and take their places in the councils of her country. England, displaying more influence in European affairs than she was supposed to possess, has by a timely interference prevented a renewal of war in Germany; and with more liberality or even greater shrewdness than she has had credit for, has conceded or else imposed on her people more liberal or else more deceptive Reform measures. France, forced to abandon her aggressive schemes in Mexico, turned her attention to the arts of peace, and won a great triumph in the display at Paris, to which have gathered, as to a feast of good fellowship, the lately belligerent monarchs and princes and warriors of Christian and infidel Europe. Very little indeed has been accomplished during that period which is not calculated to give the nations greater liberty of person and conscience, and advance them to a higher grade of civilization.—Harper's Weekly.